New to Couponing?

If you are new to using coupons, and not sure where to start – then read and follow these 5 easy steps.

1. Sign up for my daily e-mails! Look on the right hand side of the sidebar of my main Happy Deal – Happy Day page for this logo:

Type in your e-mail and submit. When you do, you will then get one daily e-mail from me that you can quickly scan through and see all of the deals I have posted that day. It comes out at 4pm EST daily, and I usually aim to post 15-20 deals a day. Also, sign up to be in these Facebook groups. There is daily communication and you can chat with other like minded shoppers! These are also great groups to ask any couponing questions!

2. Pick one store – and weekly check the deals list for that store. Get familiar with that store’s coupon policy and/or reward program and check back here each week for an updated deals list on what you can come home with for dirt cheap or free!

Wegmans of course is my personal favorite which you know if you’ve been reading here for a period of time. If you prefer to grocery shop at Tops or Walmart or even Target, then read those lists weekly and create your shopping list for the deals you want. The top 10 or so deals are always highlighted and updated weekly. You can also click on the full lists for each store which will usually give you 100+ deals to create your shopping list from.

Deal vocabulary – this is a great reference page for other acronyms or verbage that you may not be familiar with that you might see on a deals list. Don’t worry – you too will be able to speak coupon-ese in no time!If the coupon is printable, then you should be able to print 2 coupons per computer. If you want more than 2 coupons, then you’ll have to use a friends computer to get more. You CANNOT Photo copy coupons! That is illegal! If you want more than one copy of a newspaper insert coupon – you can buy them over at Coupondede.com. You will have to purchase a minimum of $5 worth of coupons (and they are usually 8-15 cents each) + a little over a $1 for shipping. Looking for a specific coupon? Looking for a specific store and what coupons they have available? Use the Coupon Database!

3. Once you have mastered the coupon policy of one grocery store, you may want to learn the rewards programs for one of the three drug stores (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens) next.

CVS = Extra Care Bucks Rite Aid = Video Value Coupons & + Up Rewards Walgreens = Register Rewards **Each of these programs are loyalty programs which gives you cash back to use in their store at a later date. Pick your favorite drug store and you can come home with freebies on a weekly basis! **NOTE: You will NOT have the time (not even if this was your full time job) to shop for every deal that is posted on this site. Honestly, I don’t even read through every store list that I post deals on, nor do I buy them! It is impossible! Choose your favorites and ones you have time for, and just stick with that.

4. Once you’ve mastered a grocery store, drug store, then you can learn to use your smart phone to save even more money.

There are apps like Ibotta (cash back program), Favado (price comparison and deal list app). If you click on those links, it will take you to posts that will explain more details to you how they work and how you can sign up each. You can also sign up for other cash back websites such as SavingStar,Shopmium, or Checkout51.

You can also earn free things by saving Coke rewards codes, Pampers Points, Kelloggs Family Rewards, Recyclebank points, and Disney Movie Rewards. Since I live out on a dirt road and it takes me a good 45 mintues to get to a mall or Target, it is totally worth it for me to invest in Amazon Prime for the free 2-day shipping. (You can also save 20% on items from Amazon using Subscribe & Save and Amazon Mom.) I use Subscribe & Save for items like toilet paper, Keurig K-cups, printer ink, paper towels, and baby food. I always find great shoe and apparel deals! One of my favorite places is 6pm.com! You can’t beat the shoe prices – especially for designer brands that they often have on sale! Plus they always offer free shipping on every order! Make money online with survey companies.

5. Have a budget and stick to it!

Just because you find a good deal, does not mean you are saving money. Create a budget on how much you can spend on groceries, gifts, clothes, etc and stick to it! When you know how much you have to spend, it sure is fun to see how much you can with that money with all the great deals you will find on this site!

**You can’t do these “5 steps” all in one day! Give yourself a couple of months to get familiar with all of the money saving tips on this page. You’ll find your own system/groove and you too will regularly get your money saving “high”!